There are many ways to make hiking and mountain biking trails, but we do it only one way: hand-cut. It’s not the fastest method. Well, it is the slowest method. But, we feel it is the best method.

We turned over the first piece of earth on December 18th, 2021. In a little over five months, we have cut in a mile and a half of beatutiful singletrack. Most of it was ready to ride the same day, and all of it has held up to several spring storms without issue. All of it? Rides like a dream!

 In this timelapse video, you can witness the process of building a hand-cut trail system, which follows this basic order:

1. Remove the top layer of sticks and leaf litter.
2. You then cut out the top organic layer of soil, digging down to terra firma.
3. You cut into the good soil and reveal the bench, the riding surface.
4. You smooth and grade out the finished bench.
5. You compact the ground by tool stamping it so it is firm and won’t erode.
6. You naturalize the work area as best as possible, spreading out the organic and dirt you cleared.
7. Ride, hike, and enjoy.